阅读说明：本技术 标签和打印并附接标签的方法 (Label and method of printing and attaching label ) 是由 藤田雅也 水谷汐里 穗刈有希 中岛千惠 土森祥平 伴野贵昭 于 2020-03-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供标签,标签相对于被粘物的旋转不太可能受阻碍。标签L在被打印之后被绕被粘物302缠绕上。被粘物302具有等于或小于规定直径的直径。标签包括：基材21；粘合层22；剥离材料24；和用于对准的标记GM。基材21具有打印表面25。粘合层22被设置在基材21的与打印表面25相反的侧表面上。剥离材料24在粘合层22的一部分露出的情况下被粘结到粘合层22。剥离材料24具有比基材21高的刚度。当将粘合层22的若干露出部分粘结在一起或者将粘合层22的露出部分与剥离材料24粘结在一起以将标签L形成为环形形状时,使用标记GM。标记GM被设置在用于将标签L形成为具有比规定直径大的内径的环形形状的位置处。(A label is provided in which rotation of the label relative to an adherend is less likely to be impeded. The label L is wound around the adherend 302 after being printed. The adherend 302 has a diameter equal to or smaller than a prescribed diameter. The label includes: a base material 21; an adhesive layer 22; a release material 24; and a mark GM for alignment. The substrate 21 has a print surface 25. The adhesive layer 22 is provided on the side surface of the base material 21 opposite to the printing surface 25. The release material 24 is bonded to the adhesive layer 22 with a portion of the adhesive layer 22 exposed. The release material 24 has higher rigidity than the base material 21. The mark GM is used when several exposed portions of the adhesive layer 22 are bonded together or the exposed portions of the adhesive layer 22 and the release material 24 are bonded together to form the label L into a ring shape. The mark GM is provided at a position for forming the label L into an annular shape having an inner diameter larger than a prescribed diameter.)

1. A label which is wound around an adherend having a diameter equal to or smaller than a prescribed diameter after being printed, comprising:

a substrate having a printing surface;

an adhesive layer disposed on a side surface of the base material opposite the printing surface;

a release material bonded to the bonding layer with a portion of the bonding layer exposed, the release material having a higher rigidity than the base material; and

a mark for alignment, which is used when bonding together exposed portions of the adhesive layer or bonding together exposed portions of the adhesive layer and the release material to form the label into a ring shape,

wherein the mark is provided at a position for forming the label into the annular shape having an inner diameter larger than the prescribed diameter.

2. A label which is wound around an adherend having a diameter equal to or smaller than a prescribed diameter after being printed, comprising:

a substrate having a printing surface;

an adhesive layer disposed on a side surface of the base material opposite the printing surface;

a release material bonded to the bonding layer with a portion of the bonding layer exposed, the release material having a higher rigidity than the base material; and

a specific shape for alignment, the specific shape being used when bonding together exposed portions of the adhesive layer or bonding together exposed portions of the adhesive layer and the release material to form the label into a ring shape,

wherein the specific shape is provided at a position for forming the label into the annular shape having an inner diameter larger than the prescribed diameter.

3. The label according to claim 2, wherein the specific shape is a cut-out portion having a prescribed depth, or an insertion portion inserted into the cut-out portion.

4. The label according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mark or the specific shape is provided at a position for bonding the exposed portion of the adhesive layer with the release material.

5. The label of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the label is encapsulated in an encapsulating material, and

wherein the prescribed diameter is a recommended maximum diameter noted on the potting material, on a potting box including the potting material, or in a specification included in the potting box together with the potting material.

6. The label according to claim 1, wherein the mark is used as a positioning mark during conveyance when printing is performed on the printing surface.

7. The label according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the substrate and the adhesive layer are provided with a transparent or translucent colour.

8. The label according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the substrate is provided with a hole or series of holes.

9. A method of printing and attaching a label, the label comprising: a substrate; an adhesive layer disposed on the first surface of the substrate; and a release material bonded to the bonding layer with a portion of the bonding layer exposed, the release material having a higher rigidity than the base material, the method comprising:

a first step of printing a second surface of the substrate;

a second step of winding the label around an adherend and bonding exposed portions of the adhesive layer together or bonding exposed portions of the adhesive layer and the release material together to form the label into a ring shape while leaving a gap between the label and the adherend, the second step being performed after the first step; and

a third step of folding the release material and covering a protruding portion of the label protruding from a loop portion on the second surface of the base material while reducing the gap between the label and the adherend, the third step being performed after the second step.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a label and a method of printing and attaching a label.

Background

For example, tags known in the art are fitted around a cylindrical adherend (such as a cable). The label in the conventional art is provided with a layered structure including a base material, an adhesive layer, and a release material, and is used by winding the label around an adherend to form an annular shape. Here, the user forms the label into a ring shape by bonding the exposed portion of the adhesive layer with the release material or the adhesive layer. In the above-described conventional technique, bonding is performed such that the inner diameter of the annular portion is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the adherend. Since the peeling material is in contact with the adherend, the label does not adhere to the adherend and serves as a rotary label.

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent application publication 2018-172607

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

However, a user unfamiliar with this operation may not leave a gap between the adherend and the label when forming the label into a ring shape, so that the label is too tightly around the adherend, so that the label cannot be rotated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a label whose rotation with respect to an adherend is less likely to be hindered.

Solution to the problem

In order to provide the above and other objects, the present invention provides a label which is wound around an adherend after being printed. The adherend has a diameter equal to or smaller than a prescribed diameter. The label includes: a substrate; an adhesive layer; stripping the material; and a mark for alignment. The substrate has a printing surface. The adhesive layer is disposed on a side surface of the base material opposite the printing surface. The release material is bonded to the adhesive layer with a portion of the adhesive layer exposed. The release material has a higher stiffness than the base material. The indicia is used when bonding exposed portions of the adhesive layer together or bonding exposed portions of the adhesive layer and the release material together to form the label into a ring shape. The mark is provided at a position for forming the label into the annular shape having an inner diameter larger than the prescribed diameter.

The label according to the present invention is used by forming the label into a ring shape wound around an adherend. That is, the user first forms the label into a ring shape by bonding exposed portions of the adhesive layer together or bonding the exposed portions of the adhesive layer and the release material together. Indicia are provided on the label according to the invention for alignment when forming the annular shape. Further, the mark is provided at a position such that the inner diameter of the annular shape formed in the label is larger than the outer diameter (prescribed diameter) of the adherend. By forming the annular shape using the label for alignment in this way, even a user unfamiliar with the operation can always ensure that a gap is formed between the adherend and the label. Therefore, at the stage of forming the annular shape, the label can be prevented from becoming excessively tight around the adherend.

After forming the label into the annular shape as described above, the user reduces the gap between the adherend and the label while winding the free portion of the label protruding from the annular portion into the print surface of the cover base material and attaching the label to the adherend. Here, since the release material having a rigidity larger than that of the base material must be folded, the label can be prevented from being tightly wound with respect to the adherend.

When the label is finally attached to the adherend as a result of the above-described operation, a gap between the label and the adherend can be ensured, thereby preventing the label from becoming difficult to rotate relative to the adherend.

Advantageous effects of the invention

According to the present invention, the rotation with respect to the adherend is less likely to be hindered.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a label creating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed structure of the print tape.

Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a process for separating each label from the printed print tape.

Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed structure of a label separated from a print tape.

Fig. 5 is an explanatory view showing a procedure for attaching a label to an adherend.

Fig. 6 is an explanatory view showing a procedure for attaching a label to an adherend.

Fig. 7 is an explanatory view showing a procedure for attaching a label to an adherend.

Fig. 8 is an explanatory view showing a procedure for attaching a label to an adherend.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing an example application of the label.

Fig. 10 is a schematic view showing an attached state of a tag on a cable.

Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed structure of a label separated from a print tape according to a first modification.

Fig. 12 is an explanatory view showing a procedure for attaching a label to an adherend according to the first modification.

Fig. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed structure of a label separated from a print tape according to a second variation.

Fig. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing a process for separating each label from the printed print tape according to the third variation.

Fig. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a process for separating each label from the printed print tape according to the fourth variation.

Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a detailed structure of a label separated from a print tape according to a fifth modification.

Fig. 17 is an explanatory view showing a procedure for attaching a label to an adherend according to a fifth modification.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail while referring to the drawings. In general, in the following description and drawings, components having substantially the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals. Therefore, a repetitive description of such components is omitted.

< Label creation means >

First, a functional configuration of a label creating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1.

In fig. 1, a label creating apparatus 1 (also referred to as a printing apparatus) has a control circuit 2, an operation unit 3 on which a user (also referred to as an operator) can perform a desired operation, a display unit 4 for displaying prescribed information, a RAM5 for storing various types of information, a conveying roller 6 (also referred to as a conveying unit), a print head 7 (also referred to as a printing unit), a cutter lever 8, and a cutter 9.

The cartridge holder 12 is provided in the label creating apparatus 1. The tape cassette 10 is detachably mounted in the cassette holder 12. The tape cassette 10 has a housing 11, which housing 11 accommodates a tape roll 10A (depicted as concentric circles for simplicity, but actually wound into a roll). The print tape To (also referred To as tape and long medium) is wound into the tape roll 10A. Here, the tape cassette 10 may be a die-cut label type or a continuous length type. In the die-cut label type, the print tape To having a slit HC (described later with reference To fig. 2) formed by half-cutting the print tape To is wound around the tape roll a. In the continuous length type, the print tape To having no slit HC is wound around the tape roll a. Any type of tape cartridge 10 may be used in the label creating apparatus 1. Unless otherwise noted, the following examples describe the use of a die-cut label-type tape cartridge 10.

The control circuit 2 is provided with a CPU and a ROM, which are not shown in the drawing. The control circuit 2 executes various programs stored in advance in the ROM while utilizing the temporary storage function of the RAM5, thereby performing overall control of the label creating apparatus 1.

The conveyance roller 6 is disposed to oppose the print head 7. The print tape To discharged from the tape roll 10A is interposed between the conveyance roller 6 and the print head 7. By the rotation, the conveyance roller 6 conveys the print tape To while pulling out the print tape To from the tape roll 10A.

The print head 7 prints a desired print object (see a print image R described later) on each label portion (described later in more detail) of the print tape To conveyed by the conveyance roller 6. The print object is a character, an icon, or the like designated by the user.

When the cutter 9 is actuated by the operation of the user on the cutting lever 8, the cutter 9 cuts off a printed portion (described later in more detail) of the print tape T having a plurality of labels L formed in the conveying direction.

< detailed structure of printing tape >

Fig. 2(a) To 2(d) show the detailed structure of the print tape To. Fig. 2(a) is a plan view showing the print tape To in an unprinted state. The up-down direction in the drawing constitutes a conveying direction (also referred to as a belt length direction and a first direction), the left-right direction in the drawing constitutes a belt width direction (also referred to as a second direction), and the near-far direction in the drawing constitutes a belt thickness direction. Further, fig. 2(b) shows a plan view of the print tape T after the print image R has been printed with the label creating apparatus 1, fig. 2(c) shows a sectional view taken along a section I-I of the printed print tape T, and fig. 2(d) shows a rear view of the printed print tape T.

As shown in fig. 2(a) To 2(d), the print tape To includes a transparent base 21, a transparent adhesive layer 22, and a transparent release material 24, the transparent base 21, the transparent adhesive layer 22, and the transparent release material 24 being laminated in order from the left side To the right side in fig. 2(c) (from the near side To the far side in fig. 2(a) and 2 (b)) in a tape thickness direction (a depth direction when viewing fig. 2(a), 2(b), and 2(d), and a left-right direction in fig. 2 (c); that is, a direction in which each layer is laminated, which will be described later). Note that the base material 21, the adhesive layer 22, and the release material 22 may all be provided with translucent colors. In addition, release material 24 may be opaque.

At this time, the printing surface 25 (also referred to as a printing background layer) is partially provided on the surface of the obverse side (the left side in fig. 2 (c); hereinafter referred to as "the first side in the thickness direction" for convenience) of the base material 21. The printing surface 25 is provided with a suitable non-transparent color, and is a surface on which the thermal head 7 forms the print image R. Note that the adhesive layer 22 may be provided on a part of the surface of the back side (the right side in fig. 2 (c); hereinafter referred to as "the second side in the thickness direction" for convenience) of the base material 21, rather than on the entire surface, i.e., between the base material 21 and the release material 24.

In the print tapes To and T having the above-described layered structure, a plurality of label portions Lo (or labels L constituted by print images R formed on the label portions Lo) are arranged continuously in the tape length direction (up-down direction in the drawing) with cuts HC interposed therebetween that extend in the tape width direction. The base material 21 is aligned in correspondence with the plurality of cuts HC (in correspondence with the slits S described later) in the vertical direction (i.e., the first direction) in the drawing perpendicular to the thickness direction. In other words, the base material 21 is divided into the label portion LA and the non-label portion LB by the half-cut HC, and is bonded to the surface of the release material 24 on the first side in the thickness direction via the adhesive layer 22.

Due to the above layered structure, each label portion Lo has four regions: a bonding region D1 (also referred to as a first region), the bonding region D1 constituting an end portion on an upper side of the drawing (also referred to as a second side of the first direction) along the first direction; a non-bonded region D2a (also referred to as a second region), the non-bonded region D2a being provided adjacent to the bonded region D1 on the lower side in the drawing (also referred to as a first side of the first direction); a non-bonded region D2b (also referred to as a second region together with the non-bonded region D2 a), the non-bonded region D2b being disposed adjacent to the non-bonded region D2a on the lower side in the drawing; and a partial bonding region D3 (also referred to as a third region), which is disposed adjacent to the non-bonding region D2a on the lower side in the drawing, a partial bonding region D3. The partial bonding region D3 is provided with a non-bonding region D3a (also referred to as a first partial region) and a bonding region D3b (also referred to as a second partial region), the non-bonding region D3a being disposed adjacent to the non-bonding region D2b on the lower side in the drawing, and the bonding region D3b being disposed adjacent to the non-bonding region D3a on the lower side in the drawing.

At this time, the width Ws of the release material 24 in the second direction is larger than the width Wb of the base material 21 in the left-right direction (second direction). Further, the thickness dimension ts of the release material 24 is smaller than the thickness dimension tb of the base material 21 and the thickness dimension tn of the adhesive layer 22.

As shown in fig. 2(d), a (half-cut) rectangular slit S (also referred to as a break line) having substantially the same length in the second direction as the base material 21 is provided in the release material 24. The slits S are arranged such that the bonded region D1 and the bonded region D3b of each slit S are located in the out-of-slit region SO outside the slit S in plan view, and the non-bonded region D2a, the non-bonded region D2b, and the non-bonded region D3a of each slit S are located in the in-slit region SI (rectangular region having the same width dimension as the base material 21) inside the slit S in plan view. As a result, in the print tapes To and T, the rectangular slits S are juxtaposed in the up-down direction, and the print surface 25 is located within the slit inside area SI surrounded by the slits S. The print image R is formed on the print background layer 25 of each label L. In this example, the print image R is a print object composed of the texts "a 01", "a 02", "a 03", … ….

As shown in fig. 2(d), a mark PM is provided on the release material 24 in the middle portion between two adjacent slits S for positioning control when the conveying roller 6 conveys the print tape To. That is, the label creating apparatus 1 is provided with a well-known reflection type optical sensor (not shown) having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit. During the positioning control, the optical sensor emits light from the light emitting unit, and the light receiving unit receives light reflected from the peeling material 24. The marks PM on the release material 24 are detected based on the difference in the light receiving amount between the portion where the marks PM are provided and all other portions in the release material 24 at this time, and the print tape To is positioned based on these detections. As shown in fig. 2(d), the mark GM is also provided on the release material 24 inside the slit S. These markers GM will be described later.

< separation of Label by peeling >

Fig. 3(a) to 3(f) show a process of separating each label L from the print tape T after printing. Fig. 3(a) is a plan view showing a printed print tape. Fig. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view of the structure shown in fig. 3(a) taken along section II-II. Fig. 3(c) is a rear view showing the printed print tape. Fig. 3(d) is a plan view showing a state of the printed print tape after one label has been peeled off. Fig. 3(e) is a cross-sectional view of the structure shown in fig. 3(d) taken along section III-III. Fig. 3(f) is a rear view of the print tape after the label is peeled off.

As described above, in the print tapes To and T, the width Ws of the release material 24 in the second direction is prepared To be larger than the width Wb of the base material 21, and the rectangular slit S having the same width Wb in the second direction as the base material 21 is provided in the wider release material 24. Due to these slits S, as shown in fig. 3(a) to 3(f), while the rectangular portion of the release material 24 located inside the slits S (the portion included in the area SI inside the slits) is separated from the other portion of the release material 24 and remains on the adhesive layer 22 side (i.e., while the adhesive layer 22 remains covered by the above-described rectangular portion), each label L included on the print tape T and having the print image R formed on the printing surface 25 as described above can be peeled off T from the print tape. In the following description, this peeled portion will be simply referred to as "label L" for convenience. After the label L has been peeled off, as shown in fig. 3(d) and 3(f), a space (window WD) is left in the strip of peeling material 24 inside the rectangular slit S.

< detailed Structure of Label >

Fig. 4(a) and 4(b) show a detailed structure of the label L separated from the print tape T. Fig. 4(a) shows a plan view of one label L, and fig. 4(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the structure in fig. 4(a) taken along section IV-IV.

Once printed, the label L is wound around an adherend 302 having a prescribed diameter or less and used as a rotatable label. The labels L are enclosed in a transparent plastic bag or other enclosing material as preprinted print strips To, printed print strips T or the labels L themselves that have been separated from these print strips To and T. The packaging material is then placed in a packaging box, such as a housing, to be stored or dispensed. For example, on at least one of the potting material, the potting case into which the potting material is inserted, and the specification included in the potting case together with the potting material, the recommended maximum diameter is noted in the expression "can be used on a LAN cable having a maximum diameter of __ mm". Such a recommended maximum diameter corresponds to the above-specified diameter. Therefore, the label L can be wound around the adherend 302 having a diameter equal to or smaller than the recommended maximum diameter.

As shown in fig. 4(a) and 4(b), the label L has a base material 21, an adhesive layer 22, a release material 24, a printing surface 25, and a mark GM. The base material 21, the adhesive layer 22, and the release material 24 are laminated from the front side to the back side in the thickness direction of the label L, that is, from the near side to the far side in the depth direction in fig. 4(a), or from the left side to the right side in fig. 4(b) in the left-right direction in fig. 4 (b).

The base material 21 has a printing surface 25 on its front side. The label creating apparatus 1 forms a print image R on the print surface 25. The base material 21 is made of a transparent material having lower rigidity than the release material 24. Such a base material 21 may be formed of, for example, a transparent resin material such as PET, PVC, PE, or PP. For example, when formed of PET, the base material 21 may be configured to have a thickness of 38 μm and a rigidity of 2.9Gpa (young's modulus). As described with reference to fig. 3, the portion of the substrate 21 is separated from the rest as a part of the label L by the cut HC.

The adhesive layer 22 is provided on the side surface of the base material 21 opposite to the printing surface 25. The adhesive layer 22 has adhesive strength and may also be provided transparently.

The release material 24 is bonded to the adhesive layer 22 with a portion of the adhesive layer 22 exposed. The release material 24 is composed of a transparent material and has higher rigidity than the base material 21. This type of release material 24 is also referred to as a separator, and may be formed of, for example, cellophane, PET, kraft paper, or the like. When formed of kraft paper, the substrate 24 may be configured to have a thickness of 57 μm and a stiffness of 4.5Gpa (young's modulus). As described with reference to fig. 3, the portion of the release material 24 is separated from the remainder of the release material 24 by the slit S as part of the label L.

The mark GM is used for alignment when several exposed portions of the adhesive layer 22 or the exposed adhesive layer 22 and the release material 24 are bonded together to form the label L into a ring shape. Therefore, the mark GM is provided at a position for forming the label L into an annular shape having an inner diameter larger than a prescribed diameter. Since the release agent 24, the adhesive layer 22, and the base 21 are formed to be transparent, the mark GM can be seen through these layers in the plan views of fig. 2(a), 2(b), 3(a), 3(d), and 4 (a).

In the present embodiment, the mark GM is arranged in a position for bonding the exposed adhesive layer 22 with the release material 24. More specifically, as shown in fig. 4(b), after the label L has been created, the mark GM is separated from the bottom edge of the release material 24 by a prescribed distance and is disposed below the bottom edge of the printing surface 25, i.e., in the non-adhesive region D3 a. The mark GM is preferably provided in the non-adhesive region D3a at a position near the bottom edge of the printing surface 25. As a result, the adhesive region D1 (adhesive layer 22) can be bonded to the non-adhesive region D3a (release material 24) by wrapping the label L around the adherend 302 until the bottom edge of the adhesive region D1 (top edge of the release material 24) is substantially aligned with the mark GM. A method of using the mark GM when wrapping the label L around the adherend 302 will be described later.

The label L will be described for each functional area. That is, the label L is provided with the adhesive region D1, the non-adhesive region D2a, the non-adhesive region D2b, and the partial adhesive region D3 (the non-adhesive region D3a and the adhesive region D3b) from the second side (upper side in the drawing) in the first direction toward the first side (lower side in the drawing) in the first direction.

In the adhesive region D1, the base material 21 and the adhesive layer 22 are laminated in this order from the first side toward the second side (from the left side toward the right side in fig. 4 (b)) in the thickness direction. Therefore, the entire area of the adhesive region D1 has adhesive properties due to the adhesive layer 22. Note that the bonded region D1 has a length L1 in the first direction.

In the non-adhesive region D2a, the base material 21, the adhesive layer 22, and the release material 24 are laminated in this order from the first side toward the second side (from the left side toward the right side in fig. 4 (b)) in the thickness direction. Therefore, the entire area of the non-adhesive region D2a is non-adhesive because the adhesive properties of the adhesive layer 22 are inhibited by the release material 24. The non-adhesive region D2a has a length L2 in the first direction.

In the non-adhesive region D2b, the printing surface 25, the base material 21, the adhesive layer 22, and the release material 24 are laminated in this order from the first side toward the second side in the thickness direction (from the left side toward the right side in fig. 4 (b)). Therefore, the entire area of the non-adhesive region D2b is non-adhesive because the adhesive properties of the adhesive layer 22 are inhibited by the release material 24. At this time, the printing surface 25 provided with the print image R is disposed in the non-adhesion region D2b adjacent to the non-adhesion region D3 a. In this example, the printing surface 25 is prepared by applying an ink of a suitable color (ink coating) to the substrate 21. As described above, the thermal head 7 forms the print image R, which is the text "a 01", on the print surface 25. The non-adhesive region D2b has a length L3 in the first direction.

In the non-adhesive region D3a of the partial adhesive region D3, the base material 21, the adhesive layer 22, and the release material 24 are laminated in this order from the first side toward the second side in the thickness direction (from the left side toward the right side in fig. 4 (b)). Therefore, the entire area of the non-adhesive region D3a is non-adhesive because the adhesive property of the adhesive layer 22 is inhibited by the release material 24. The non-adhesive region D3a has a length L4A in the first direction.

Note that the non-bonded region D2a, the non-bonded region D2b, and the non-bonded region D3a are portions located within the region SI in the slit described above (refer to the marks in fig. 4(a) and 4 (b)).

In the adhesive region D3b of the partial adhesive region D3, the base material 21 and the adhesive layer 22 are laminated in this order from the first side toward the second side in the thickness direction (from the left side toward the right side in fig. 4 (b)). (a portion of the release material 24 may also be included in this area by adjusting the position of the slit S). Therefore, the entire area or at least a partial area of the adhesive region D3b has adhesive properties by the adhesive layer 22. The bonding region D3b has a length L4B in the first direction. As a result, the partial bonding region D3 has a length L4(L4A + L4B) in the first direction, and at least a part of the partial bonding region D3 is a bonding region.

The substrate 21 (except for the above-described cuts HC) is not provided with specific perforations or slits, and the cross-sectional shape of the layer in the thickness direction is continuous along the first direction.

< procedure for printing and attaching Label >

Here, a method of printing and attaching the label L will be described. The method of printing and attaching the label L roughly has three steps (first step to third step). As described above, the tag L has: a base material 21; an adhesive layer 22, the adhesive layer 22 being provided on the back surface, i.e., the first surface, of the base material 21; and a release material 24, the release material 24 being bonded to the adhesive layer 22 with a portion of the adhesive layer 22 exposed. The release material 24 has a higher rigidity than the base material 21. In a first step, the label creating apparatus 1 is used to print a top surface, i.e. a second surface, in particular a print surface 25, of the substrate 21 constituting the label L. As shown in fig. 3 and other figures, the printed label L is separated from the print tape T by the cut HC in the base material 21 and the slit S in the release material 24. As shown in fig. 3(d), the non-label portion LB is first separated from the print tape T, and then the label L is separated from the print tape T. After the first step is completed, the process proceeds to the second step.

Fig. 5 to 8 show procedures for attaching the label L to the adherend 302 in the second step and the third step. Fig. 5(a) and 5(b) are explanatory views for explaining the second step by a cross section in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the adherend 302. Fig. 6(a) and 6(b) are explanatory views for explaining the second step by a schematic perspective view when the label L is formed into a ring shape around the adherend 302. Fig. 7(a) and 7(c) are explanatory views for explaining the third step by a cross section in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the adherend 302. Fig. 8(a) to 8(d) are explanatory views explaining the third step, in which schematic perspective views showing a state where the gap is reduced and the protruding portion is wound. These examples show the illustrated case of attaching the label L by winding the label L around a cylindrical or cable-like adherend 302 having a diameter of 2 r.

In the second step, the label L is wound around the adherend 302 to form a ring shape, and exposed portions of the adhesive layer 22 are bonded together or exposed portions of the adhesive layer 22 and the release material 24 are bonded together while leaving a gap between the label L and the adherend 302. More specifically, the label L has the following regions continuously extending in the order shown in fig. 5 (a): bonded region D1 → unbonded region D2a → unbonded region D2b → partially bonded region D3. First, the adherend 302 is placed on the release material 24 side of the non-adhesive region D2 a. At this time, the adherend 302 is arranged in the vicinity of the print image R on the printing surface 25. Next, as shown in fig. 5(b), with the release material 24 inside, the adhesive region D1, the non-adhesive region D2a, and the non-adhesive region D2b of the label L are bent into a concave shape. As shown in fig. 5(b) and fig. 6(a) to 8(a), the adhesive layer 22 in the adhesive region D1 is bonded to the release material 24 in the non-adhesive region D3a while aligning the upper edge of the release material 24 in fig. 5(a) with the mark GM. By this action, as shown in fig. 5(b) and fig. 6(a) to 8(a), the label L is formed into a ring shape surrounding the adherend 302 (e.g., cable). In the present embodiment, the mark GM can suppress positional deviation when the adhesive layer 22 and the release material 24 are bonded together. Note that, instead of first arranging the adherend 302 in the second step, the label L may be first formed into a ring shape, and then the adherend 302 may be inserted into the ring of the label L. After the second step is completed, the process proceeds to the third step.

In the third step, the release material 24 is folded to reduce the gap between the release material 24 and the adherend 302. More specifically, as shown in fig. 7(a) and 8(a), a large gap exists between the release material 24 (inside of the loop) of the label L and the adherend 302. In this state, as shown in fig. 8(b), the user can use a finger or the like to contract the end portion of the loop on the mark GM side inward from the mark GM to gradually reduce the inner area of the loop. Here, since the label L will function as a rotatable label, the user will not reduce the gap to such an extent that the gap becomes void. However, by pressing with a finger or the like, the user can easily adjust the gap between the adherend 302 and the release material 24.

After narrowing the gap, the user then starts to overlay the free portion of the label L protruding from the loop portion on the second surface of the base material 21, i.e., the print surface 25, in the direction indicated by the arrow G, as shown in fig. 7(b), 7(c), 8(c), and 8 (d). That is, the remaining part of the partial bonding region D3 (bonding region D3b in this example) which is not used in the structure surrounding the adherend 302 is wound in the direction of arrow G indicated in fig. 5(b) so that the bonding portions of the bonding region D1 and the non-bonding region D3a are on the inner side (for example, the bonding region D1 is folded back as indicated by arrow Z and is in contact with the region Y). At this time, the remaining part of the partially bonded region D3 is wound around the outer peripheral portions of the regions D2a and D2b while covering the non-bonded region D2a and the non-bonded region D2b constituting the cylindrical body in this order. Then, using the adhesive property of the adhesive layer 22, the adhesive region D3b of the partial adhesive region D3 is bonded to the outer peripheral portions of the non-adhesive region D2a and the non-adhesive region D2b to complete the attachment of the label L to the adherend 302. Through the above-described process, the label L is rotatably wound around the adherend 302, and can be used as a rotatable label.

< example application of Label >

Fig. 9 shows an example application of the above-described label L. In this example, a cable of a switching hub for relaying information via a network (such as a wired LAN) is applied as the adherend 302. The adherend 302 will be referred to herein as a cable 302. The switching hub 300 in fig. 9 has eight slots 301 (16 slots in total) in each of the top and bottom rows. In the example of the drawing, boards PL indicating ID names "a 01" to "a 08" are arranged in order from the left to correspond to eight slots 301 in the top row, and boards PL indicating ID names "a 09" to "a 16" are arranged in order from the left to correspond to eight slots 301 in the bottom row.

The cable 302 must be properly connected to the corresponding slot 301. For convenience of connection, the above-described label L is mounted on an end portion of each cable 302 to be inserted into one connector slot 301, and the print image R formed on each label L has the same contents as the ID name of the slot 301 to which the cable 302 is to be connected. In other words, the following label L is adhered to the cable 302: the label is printed with the same text as the ID name on the board PL of the slot 301 to which the cable 302 is to be connected. This clarifies the correlation between the socket 301 and the cable 302 to be connected to the socket 301, thereby preventing miswiring.

Fig. 10 schematically shows the attached state of the label L on the cable 302. The axial center k of the cable 302 is also indicated in the drawing. According to the above structure, the label L is adhered to the cable 302 constituting the adherend so as to be rotatable around the cable 302. In the example state shown in fig. 10(a), the non-adhesive region D2b is arranged such that the print image R of "a 01" provided on the non-adhesive region D2b faces the viewer of the drawing. Although the transparent adhesive region D3b is actually present to cover the outer peripheral side of the non-adhesive region D2b, the adhesive region D3b is omitted in fig. 10(a) and 10(b) described later to prevent the drawings from being complicated and to facilitate understanding. By rotating the label L in the direction of the broken-line arrow (i.e., the circumferential direction) from the state shown in fig. 10(a), the label L can be displaced into an orientation as shown in fig. 10(b) in which the partial adhesive region D3 faces the viewer of the drawing. Similarly, if the print image R is not easily read when the label L is fixed to the cable 302 in the position shown in fig. 10(b), the label L is rotatable. Therefore, by rotating the label L in the direction opposite to the above direction to the position shown in fig. 10(a), the print image R can be made visible.

< effects of the first embodiment >

As described above, the label L according to the present invention is used by forming the label L into a ring shape wound around the adherend 302. That is, the user first forms the label L into a ring shape by bonding together exposed portions of the adhesive layer 22 or the exposed portions of the adhesive layer 22 and the release material 24. A mark GM is provided on the label L for alignment when forming such a ring shape. Further, the mark GM is provided at a position such that the inner diameter of the annular shape formed in the label L is larger than the outer diameter (prescribed diameter) of the adherend 302. By using the label GM for alignment in this way to form an annular shape, even a user unfamiliar with the operation can always ensure that a gap is formed between the adherend 302 and the label L. Therefore, at the stage of forming the annular shape, the label L can be prevented from becoming excessively tightly around the adherend 302.

After forming the label L into the annular shape as described above, the user reduces the gap between the adherend 302 and the label L while winding the free portion of the label L protruding from the annular portion onto the printing surface 25 of the base material 21 and attaching the label L to the adherend 302. Here, since the release material 24 having a larger rigidity than the base material 21 must be folded, the label can be prevented from being tightly wound with respect to the adherend 24.

When the label L is finally attached to the adherend 302 as a result of the above-described operation, a gap can be ensured between the label L and the adherend 302, thereby preventing the label L from becoming difficult to rotate relative to the adherend 302.

According to the present embodiment, the mark GM is also provided at a position for bonding the exposed portion of the adhesive layer 22 with the release material 24. Therefore, by forming the label L into a ring shape by performing alignment using the mark GM when the exposed portion of the adhesive layer 22 is bonded to the release material 24, it is possible to always ensure that a gap is formed between the adhesive layer 22 and the label.

In this embodiment, the label L is encapsulated in an encapsulating material. The specified diameter is the recommended maximum diameter noted in the specification on the potting material, or on the potting box including the potting material, or included together with the potting material in the potting box. Therefore, when the label is wound around an adherend having a recommended maximum use diameter noted on the sealing material, the sealing case, or in the specification, it is possible to prevent the label from being difficult to rotate around the adherend.

According to the present embodiment, the base material 21 and the adhesive layer 22 are provided with transparent or translucent colors. Therefore, when the label L is formed into a ring shape and then the free portion of the label L protruding from the ring-shaped portion is wound to cover the printing surface 25, the content of the print image R on the printing surface 25 can be seen through the base material 21 and the adhesive layer 22 covering the printing surface 25.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is needless to say that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Various modifications, adaptations, and combinations may occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, and are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims. Therefore, the techniques resulting from these modifications, adjustments, combinations, and the like naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Some of these variants are described below. In these variations, the same reference numerals are assigned to components similar to those in the first embodiment, and the description of these components will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

< first variant >

In the example of the first embodiment described above, as shown in fig. 4(b), the mark GM is formed on the peeling material 24. By aligning the upper edge of the release material 24 with the mark GM, as shown in fig. 5(b), the adhesive layer 22 (adhesive region D1) and the release material 24 (non-adhesive region D3a) are bonded together. However, the position where the mark GM is formed is not limited to this example. For example, the mark GM may be formed on the substrate 21, and the edge of the substrate 21 may be aligned with the mark GM when bonding. This first variation will be described below.

Fig. 11(a) and 11(b) show a detailed structure of the label L that has been separated from the print tape T according to the first variation. Fig. 11(a) is a plan view of a single label L, and fig. 11(b) is a sectional view of the structure in fig. 11(a) taken along a section V-V. Fig. 12(a) and 12(b) are explanatory diagrams illustrating the second step according to the first modification by a cross section in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the adherend 302. Fig. 11 and 12 correspond to fig. 4 and 5 in the first embodiment.

In the label L according to the first modification, as shown in fig. 11(b), the printing surface 25 is formed in substantially the same length as the release material 24 in the tape length direction (first direction), and the mark GM is formed on the base material 21. Here, the mark GM may be provided below the bottom edge 25a of the printing surface 25, and arranged closer to the bottom edge 25a side than to the bottom edge La of the label L. The distance from the bottom edge to the mark GM may be set to be substantially equal to the distance from the top edge 25b of the printing surface 25 to the top edge Lb of the label L. Accordingly, by wrapping label L around adherend 302 such that top edge Lb of label L is substantially aligned with mark GM, adhesive layer 22 in adhesive region D1 can be bonded to adhesive layer 22 in adhesive region D4. A method of using this mark GM when wrapping the label L around the adherend 302 will be described later.

The label L according to this variant will be described for each functional area. That is, the label L is provided with the adhesive region D1, the non-adhesive region D23, and the adhesive region D4 from the second side (upper side in the drawing) of the first direction toward the first side (lower side in the drawing) of the first direction. The non-bonded region D23 corresponds to the non-bonded regions D2a and D2b and the non-bonded region D3a of the first embodiment, and the bonded region D4 corresponds to the bonded region D3b of the first embodiment. Although the printing surface 25 is arranged only in the non-adhesion region D2b in the first embodiment, the printing surface 25 is arranged in the entire non-adhesion region D23 in the present modification.

The method of printing and attaching the label L according to this first variation is different from the first embodiment mainly in the second step. Therefore, this second step will be described later. The label L in this variation has the following regions extending continuously in the order shown in fig. 12 (a): bonded region D1 → unbonded region D23 → bonded region D4. In the second step according to this variant, the adherend 302 is first placed on the release material 24 side of the non-adhesive region D23. At this time, the adherend 302 is arranged in the vicinity of the print image R on the printing surface 25. Next, as shown in fig. 12(b), with the release material 24 on the inside, the adhesive region D1 and the non-adhesive region D23 of the label L are bent into a concave shape. As shown in fig. 12(b), adhesive layer 22 in adhesive region D1 is bonded to adhesive layer 22 in adhesive region D4 while top edge Lb of label L in fig. 12(a) is aligned with mark GM. By this action, as shown in fig. 12(b), the label L is formed into a ring shape surrounding the adherend 302 (e.g., cable). In this modification, the mark GM can suppress positional deviation between the adhesive layers 22 when the adhesive layers 22 are bonded together. Note that, instead of first arranging the adherend 302 in the second step, the label L may be first formed into a ring shape, and then the adherend 302 may be inserted into a ring formed in the label L. After the second step is completed, the process proceeds to the third step. As in the first embodiment, the release material 24 is folded to reduce the gap between the label L and the adherend 302, and attachment of the label L to the adherend 302 is completed by winding the free portion of the label L protruding from the loop portion in the direction of arrow G so as to cover the second surface, i.e., the printing surface 25, of the base material 21. Through the above-described process, the label L is rotatably wound around the adherend 302, and can be used as a rotatable label. The label L according to the above-described first variation can obtain the same operation and effect as the first embodiment.

< second variant >

In the first embodiment described above, the base material 21 is not provided with perforations or slits other than the cuts HC, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the substrate 21 may be provided with a hole or series of holes. Fig. 13(a) and 13(b) show a detailed structure of the label L that has been separated from the print tape T according to the second variation. Fig. 13(a) is a plan view of a single label L. Fig. 13(b) is a sectional view of the structure in fig. 13(a) taken along section V-V. Fig. 13 corresponds to fig. 4 in the first embodiment.

In the tag L of this variation, as shown in fig. 13(a) and 13(b), a perforation MH including a series of holes is formed in the base material 21. The perforations MH are formed along the strip width direction (second direction), and rows of perforations are juxtaposed in parallel along the strip length direction (first direction). Since the rigidity of the base material 21 is weakened so that the rigidity of the release material 24 is relatively strong, the label L according to this modification can suppress the label L from becoming tightly wound around the adherend 302. The perforation MH may also be constituted by a single hole or a combination of a single hole and a series of holes.

< third variant >

Although the slit S is rectangular in shape and the portion of the release material 24 that has been separated on the label L side is also formed into a rectangular shape in the first embodiment described above, the present invention is not limited to this example. The slit S and thus the portion of the release material 24 that has been separated on the label L side may have any of various shapes. Fig. 14(a) to 14(f) show a procedure of separating each label L according to this variation from the print tape T after printing. Fig. 14(a) is a plan view showing a printed print tape. Fig. 14(b) is a cross-sectional view of the structure shown in fig. 14(a) taken along section VII-VII. Fig. 14(c) is a rear view of the printed print tape. Fig. 14(d) is a plan view showing a single label that has been peeled off from the printed print tape. Fig. 14(e) is a cross-sectional view taken along section VIII-VIII of the structure shown in fig. 14 (d). Fig. 14(f) is a rear view of the print tape after the label has been peeled off. Fig. 14 corresponds to fig. 3 in the first embodiment.

As shown in fig. 14(c), the slit S in the label L according to this variation has a shape including a horseshoe shape combined on the bottom of the rectangular slit S in fig. 3 with respect to the belt length direction. In other words, at the bottom of the slit S, both edges in the tape width direction extend to positions corresponding to the labels L, i.e., the cutouts HC, while the center in the tape width direction has an inverted U-shape. Therefore, as shown in fig. 14(D) to 14(f), after the label L is separated from the print tape T in the present modification, the peeling material 24 is arranged in the adhesive region D3b in accordance with the slit S so as to have a portion on the non-adhesive region D3a side and portions on both sides (left and right sides in the drawing) in the tape width direction. However, the portion of the release material 24 where the positioning mark PM is located remains on the print tape T side. The label L according to this third variation can obtain the same effects as the first embodiment and the like.

< fourth variant >

In the first embodiment described above, the label L has the mark GM for alignment when winding the label L around the adherend 302, and the label L has the separate mark PM for positioning when conveying the print tape To, but the present invention is not limited To this example. The tag GM may also assume the function of locating the tag PM. Fig. 15(a) to 15(f) show a procedure of separating the label L from the print tape T after printing according to this variation. Fig. 15(a) is a plan view showing a printed print tape. Fig. 15(b) is a sectional view taken along section IX-IX of the structure shown in fig. 15 (a). Fig. 15(c) is a rear view showing the printed print tape. Fig. 15(d) is a plan view showing a single label that has been peeled off from the printed print tape. Fig. 15(e) is a sectional view taken along section X-X of the structure shown in fig. 15 (d). Fig. 15(f) is a rear view of the print tape after the label has been peeled off. Fig. 15 corresponds to fig. 3 in the first embodiment.

Unlike the tag L in fig. 3 in which the tag GM and the tag PM are arranged, according to this variation, only the tag GM is arranged in the tag L, as shown in fig. 15. Here, the mark GM is formed in the same shape, format, and the like as the mark PM according to the first embodiment, so that the positioning mechanism of the tag creation apparatus 1 can recognize or detect the mark GM. Therefore, the mark GM can be used as the positioning mark PM during conveyance to perform printing on the printing surface 25. Therefore, in the case of the label L according to the present variation, when installed in the label creating apparatus 1, it is not necessary to separately provide the mark PM for positioning during conveyance when printing on the printing surface 25.

< fifth modification >

Although the label L in the first embodiment described above has the mark GM for alignment, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the label L may have a specific shape for alignment. Fig. 15 and 16 show examples of such specific shapes. Fig. 16(a) and 16(b) show a detailed structure of the label L according to the fourth variation after being separated from the print tape T. Fig. 16(a) is a plan view of a single label L. Fig. 16(b) is a sectional view taken along a section IX-IX of the structure shown in fig. 16 (a). Fig. 17(a) and 17(b) are schematic perspective views showing the label L formed into a ring shape around the adherend 302 by the second step. Fig. 16 and 17 correspond to fig. 4 and 6 in the first embodiment.

As shown in fig. 16(a), the label L according to the present variation has a guide slit GS and a guide tab GT instead of the mark GM as an example of a specific shape for alignment.

The guide slit GS is an example of a cutout portion, and is used for alignment together with a guide tab GT described later when two exposed portions of the adhesive layer 22 or the exposed portions of the adhesive layer 22 and the release material 24 are bonded together to form the label L into a ring shape. Therefore, the guide slit GS is provided at a position for forming the label into a ring shape having an inner diameter larger than a prescribed diameter. As shown in fig. 16(a) and 16(b), the guide slit GS is formed in a slit shape arranged longitudinally in the belt width direction. The guide slit GS penetrates the release material 24, the adhesive layer 22, and the base material 21. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 16(b), the guide slit GS is separated from the bottom edge of the release material 24 by a prescribed distance after the label L is formed, and the guide slit GS is provided below the bottom edge of the printing surface 25, i.e., in the non-adhesive region D3 a. The guide slit GS is preferably provided in the non-adhesive region D3a at a position near the bottom edge of the printing surface 25. In this example, the guide slit GS is formed as a through hole, but the guide slit GS may also be formed as a slit having a prescribed depth sufficient for insertion of a guide tab GT described later.

The guide tab GT is an example of an insertion portion, and is inserted into the above-described guide slit GS when the label L is formed into a ring shape. Thus, the guide tab GT is provided on the upper edge of the label L. More specifically, as shown in fig. 16(a), the guide tab GT is provided in the bonded region D1. To be insertable into the guide slit GS, the guide tab GT is formed in a position corresponding to the guide slit GS in the belt width direction and has a length equal to or smaller than the length of the guide slit GS in the belt width direction. Further, as shown in fig. 16(a), since the top edge of the guide tab GT shown in fig. 16(a) is to be inserted into the guide slit GS, the guide tab GT is preferably shaped such that the length of the guide tab GT in the tape width direction increases downward from the top edge of the label L to facilitate the insertion.

In the second step of the method of printing and attaching the label L, when the label L is bent into a concave shape with the release material 24 on the inside, as shown in fig. 6(a) and other drawings, the label L in the first embodiment is positioned by aligning the upper edge of the release material 24 with the mark GM. However, as shown in fig. 17(a), the label L in this variation is positioned by inserting the guide tab GT into the guide slit GS from the back side (the release material 24 side). Accordingly, the guide tab GT is inserted into the guide slit GS formed in the non-adhesive region D3a from the proximal side (the release material 24 side) toward the distal side (the base material 21 side) shown in fig. 17 (b). Except for this alignment method, the method for printing the label L is the same as that in the first embodiment, and will not be described here.

According to the label L of the present modification described above, by forming the above-described annular shape by aligning the guide slits GS and the guide tabs GT constituting the specific shape, even a user who is not familiar with the operation can always form a gap between the adherend 302 and the label L. Therefore, at the stage of forming the annular shape, the label does not become excessively tight around the adherend 302. Since the release material 24 having higher rigidity than the base material 21 must be folded later when the free portion of the label L protruding from the loop portion is wound to cover the print surface of the base material 21, the label L is prevented from being wound too tightly around the adherend 21. When the label L is finally attached to the adherend 302 as a result of the above-described operation, the label L is prevented from becoming difficult to rotate relative to the adherend 302. Further, by forming the annular shape while aligning the guide slit GS and the guide tab GT, a gap can always be generated between the adherend 302 and the label L.

< others >

When descriptions such as "vertical", "parallel", and "flat" appear in the above description, these descriptions are not intended to be understood in their strictest sense. In other words, "perpendicular," "parallel," and "flat" may mean "substantially perpendicular," "substantially parallel," and "substantially flat," to allow for design and manufacturing tolerances and errors.

When dimensions and sizes are described in the above description as being "the same", "equivalent", "different", etc. in appearance, these terms are not intended to be construed in their strictest sense. In other words, the terms "same", "equivalent", and "different" may mean "approximately the same", "approximately equivalent", and "approximately different" to allow for design and manufacturing tolerances and errors.

The methods according to the above-described embodiments and variations thereof may be used in appropriate combinations in addition to the methods already described.

In addition, although not separately illustrated, the present invention may be implemented by various modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

List of reference numerals

1 Label creating device (printing device)

2 control circuit

3 operating unit

4 display unit

5 RAM

6 conveying roller

7 print head

8 cutting lever

9 cutter

10 tape box

10A belt roller

11 casing

12-box holder

21 base material

22 adhesive layer

24 Release Material

25 printing surface

25a bottom edge

25b top edge

300 switching hub

301 connector slot

302 adherend (Cable)

D1, D3b, D4 bonded areas

D2a, D2b, D3a, D23 non-bonded regions

D3 partial bond area

GM, PM Mark

GS guide slit

GT pilot lug

HC incision

L label

LA label part

Bottom edge of La

Lb top edge

LB non-label part

Lo tag part

MH perforation

R print image

S slit

Region outside of SO slit

Area inside SI slit

To printing belt (Medium, long medium)

T-shaped printing tape (Medium, long medium)

tb thickness dimension of substrate

thickness dimension of ts peeling material

Width of Wb substrate

Width of Ws Release Material

WD window